A Boy With Charm
by Ayala Atreides
Summary: Vivi's got a lot on her mind. Only she and the Straw Hats can stop her country from being destroyed. Like that's not enough to handle, an enticing distraction appears in her life: Luffy's ridiculously attractive older brother. Just how strong is Vivi's self control? Ace/Vivi, anime-based, mostly follows canon.


Hell yes, first One Piece fanfiction! I've been wanting to write something for this ship for a while now, as it's one of my favorite OP pairings. Sure, it's not like they could be together long-term, and they'd only be able to see each other a few times and they'd have to keep it secret, and they'd be in big trouble if anyone found out- but admit it, they'd be super cute together. This story will be two chapters! Here is the first one. I also have fanfictions for Avatar: The Last Airbender and Gurren Lagann. You know, if you're into that kind of thing.

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

In retrospect, it really wasn't _that_ surprising that Luffy had an older brother. It wasn't as if siblings were a rare occurrence. Vivi wasn't lucky enough to have any siblings, although the Suna-Suna Clan had felt like a whole horde of them.

She just hadn't expected him to be, well, _anything_ like he was. She certainly wouldn't have guessed that any sibling of Luffy's would be so sensible… or so polite… or so charming. Nor had she expected him to be so _distracting_, for that matter.

The problems started, really, when Ace followed Luffy back to the _Going Merry_. He made quite a memorable entrance, leaping up onto the ship's railing seemingly out of nowhere and crouching there so casually. He graciously thanked them all for looking after his little brother, grinning and lighting Sanji's cigarette with his Devil Fruit powers, and no matter what she did she simply _couldn't stop staring. _Then again, everyone else was staring too so perhaps he wouldn't notice.

She was a bit surprised at the crew's blunt remarks about him, and she tried hastily to get them to settle down, but Ace took it all in stride. He was probably accustomed to people reacting so strongly. To be such a high-ranking member of the Whitebeard crew… that was a name she'd heard often while she'd infiltrated Baroque Works. And even besides that, was there anyone on the Grand Line who didn't know the name of Captain Whitebeard?

"See?" Luffy said to Ace, grinning broadly. "I told you they were interesting!" The boy laughed uproariously, but Ace just nodded calmly and smiled, glancing around at the crew again over Luffy's shoulder. But then, his eyes met hers and stayed there. She froze, feeling her face warm slightly. He held her gaze for a moment and then his smile widened a bit. She forced herself to smile back, hoping her face wasn't as red as it felt.

And then Zoro spotted something off in the distance ahead of them. Vivi saw his head turn and followed his gaze—and there they were, five ships sailing towards them at top speed, their sails emblazoned with an all-too-familiar emblem. Dread sank into the pit of her stomach, chilling her to the bone.

"Baroque Works!" Vivi gasped. "Those are the Billions' ships!" They were already close enough for her to hear the roars and shouts from the men aboard the ships.

Luffy leaned far over the railing, shading his eyes with one hand. "Those guys again?" he wondered.

"Luffy," Ace said from his perch on the railing. "Leave these guys to me." His tone had suddenly gone from breezy to stony. Vivi and the others turned to Ace in surprise, but before anyone could ask what he meant, he'd turned and sprung off of the railing, plummeting down towards the water with a shout. Nami and Usopp rushed over to the railing. Vivi peered over their shoulders, gaping in shock as Ace landed in a tiny, bright yellow boat tethered to their ship.

"What does he think he's gonna do?!" Nami wondered incredulously.

"Especially in that tiny little boat," Usopp muttered. Ace's feet ignited and sent a plume of flame through the engine at the rear of the boat. Vivi stared again at the boat as it rocketed away, kicking up a massive spray in its wake. Ace didn't look particularly worried as his boat zipped over the sea towards the enemy ships; his hands were in his pockets, his broad shoulders were relaxed.

Next to her, Zoro folded his arms. "Let's see how skilled the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates really is," he said evenly.

She'd heard that the division commanders of the Whitebeard Pirates were inhumanly strong—every bounty hunter in Baroque Works practically salivated over the thought of bringing one down—but what could one man do against five ships of that size?

As it turned out, one man could do quite a lot. It was over in minutes. The Baroque Works ships shattered apart under the blistering heat of Ace's Fire Fist and floated in charred, twisted wreckage in the frothing waves.

Vivi watched in open-mouthed shock, hands clasped in front of her chest. _All five ships… with just __**one**__ attack!_ she thought, utterly stunned. So that was the power of Whitebeard's Second Division Commander! If he were to join them, if that kind of strength could be turned against Crocodile—right away, she felt guilty for even thinking such a thing. It was bad enough that her new nakama were putting themselves in harm's way for her struggle; how could she even consider asking a total stranger, and her friend's dear brother at that, to put his life on the line as well? She turned her head from the destruction before her, suddenly feeling a flash of shame.

* * *

"Whooaaaa! Amazing!" Luffy crowed as Ace boarded the _Going Merry_ once more. The whole crew clustered around him on the main deck. "Ace! You got way stronger again! Amaaaazing! So cool, so cool, so cool!"

Ace laughed and hopped over the railing, his boots hitting the main deck with a solid thud. Vivi felt her heartbeat pick up as he ambled closer to the crew.

"You certainly have a talent for making some unusual enemies, Luffy," Ace said, grinning.

"Nah, they're Vivi's enemies!" Luffy said, beaming. Vivi turned sharply towards him, startled. "I'm just gonna beat 'em up for her!"

Ace turned towards Vivi and did that smile again. "Oh? Is that so?" he asked.

She fiddled with her left earring. "I-it's a complicated story," she said quickly, averting her eyes from his intense gaze.

"Sanjiiiiii! Get us some drinks, we gotta celebrate!" Luffy hollered. He pumped his fists in the air as Usopp and Chopper cheered along with him, the three of them linking arms. Vivi couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Chopper dangling between the two boys, swinging his hind hooves gleefully. Sanji chuckled and headed upstairs to the galley. Zoro had settled against the railing near the other boys and looked to be dozing off already. Next to Vivi, Nami sighed and shook her head.

"We're having a party, I see," she remarked lightly.

"Mm," Vivi agreed in amusement. Ace looked on with a bemused expression as his brother danced wildly.

"Looks like my pesky little brother's already settled into the life of a pirate," he commented as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulder.

"Yeah—a little too easily if you ask me," Nami replied with a wry smile.

"Ohhh, Nami-swaaaaan! Vivi-chwaaaaan!" Sanji's giddy voice drifted over to them as he stepped out of the galley, hefting two trays full of ale mugs. "I have some booze for these louts, but would my two favorite ladies prefer something more refined?" He beamed brightly at them, wiggling with delight.

Nami heaved a long-suffering sigh, but the smile never left her face. "Ale's fine for us, Sanji!" she called back. Turning to Vivi and Ace, she said, "I'd better go help him with those before he 'mellorines' them right out of his hands." She jogged off across the main deck towards the stairs up to the galley—and suddenly, it was just the two of them by the railing.

She ventured a sideways glance at him. He stayed where he was, still watching Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper as they pranced around. Then he tilted his head back, lifting his eyes and glancing around to study the _Going Merry_.

"This is a good ship," he remarked. A warm breeze blew across the deck as he spoke, sending a few strands of wavy hair brushing over his cheekbones.

"U-um, yes, it certainly is," Vivi agreed, hastily averting her eyes again. What in the world was wrong with her all of a sudden?

"Luffy's got his own share of the Devil's Luck, I guess. Not many rookies get a ship this nice so soon." Ace chuckled. "Mine wasn't, I can say that much."

"Oh, but—haven't you been on Whitebeard's crew?" Vivi asked, puzzled.

He smiled in an oddly rueful way. "Not at first… but it's been a while since then. You must be Princess Vivi, isn't that right?" She hesitated for a second, and then nodded. "Luffy tells me that you're trying to stop a civil war."

"Well, yes—Alabasta's on the edge of a rebellion at this moment," she said cautiously. She was fairly certain that she could trust Ace; he was Luffy's brother, after all. Still, perhaps it'd be best to withhold all of the details for the moment. After not trusting anyone besides Igaram for two years, it was a difficult habit to break.

"My brother also said something about wanting to punch a crocodile," Ace added, grinning.

"Ah, ha ha, did he?" Vivi chirped nervously. She wasn't sure which was the cause behind her suddenly stuttering heartbeat—was it the idea of someone coming so close to her carefully guarded secrets? Or was it the fact that the someone in question had such a bright, disarming smile? Luckily, Luffy came to her rescue yet again in an entirely different way.

"Oiiiii! Ace! Come drink with us!" he hollered, hoisting up a beer mug and sloshing some of it onto Usopp. The other boy squawked in protest and shook his head, spraying beer droplets from his curly hair.

"Sure, Luffy!" Ace said. He gestured to her to go ahead, and walked over beside her. He perched himself on a barrel just behind Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper, who had plopped down in a little circle on the deck. Vivi settled beside Carue as the others all relaxed around them.

She couldn't help but smile as she watched the trio nearby toasting to all kinds of things, from their incorrect assumption that Ace was joining the Straw Hats (and oblivious to his protests to the contrary), to the tastiness of the beverages, to the dryness of sand and the bad flavor of medicine.

Her smile faded as Ace told them about what had led him to Alabasta— of a man named Blackbeard who had killed a crewmate and vanished into the night, for reasons still unknown. To think that someone could be so cruel to a member of their own crew! She couldn't blame Ace for wanting to track the man down.

After they finished the first round of drinks, Vivi excused herself to go below deck to the room she and Nami were sharing. She felt a pang of regret as the sound of the crew's raucous laughter faded behind her, but there was much to be done before they set off on their trek to Yuba. She had so much to plan, so much to consider; she had to decide what she would say to the Rebel Army's leader when they found him; and there was a letter she wanted to send to her father once they landed downriver from Erumalu.

And besides, she told herself, sitting down here would be a good way to clear her head before the journey. If she was going to stop this rebellion she had to stay focused and free her mind from all distractions—such as strangers with freckles and soft-looking black hair and massive biceps…

She set her pen down on the desk with a loud clack, lowering her head for a moment and squeezing her eyes shut. _Damn it, this isn't good,_ she thought. She had to stay on course, she couldn't allow herself to be waylaid by thoughts like these. Once she'd stopped the rebellion, she'd have plenty of time to think about whatever she wanted. Right now, though, she had to stand firm. She picked up her pen and resolutely began her letter.

* * *

Ace stayed on board as Princess Vivi, Luffy, and a few others disembarked briefly. The princess had said she needed to send her bird off with a letter to the King. Well, he didn't want to intrude on a personal moment so he'd decided to hang back and watch from a distance. The swordsman, Zoro, seemed to be thinking along similar lines. The two of them leaned against the rail of the aft deck while the others climbed down the rope ladder.

"That girl's been through a hell of a lot," Zoro commented.

"Oh? So I've heard," Ace said. "Luffy told me a little bit about it on our way to the harbor. So Baroque Works has this country in its crosshairs, then."

"They're not really the problem. The Baroque Works goons are a bunch of small-fries," Zoro muttered. "If it was just them she could probably deal with it on her own. She infiltrated those people for two whole years."

Ace's eyebrows went up at that. "So she did, huh? Luffy said something like that but, well, you know how he gets."

"Yeah, that's right," Zoro said, nodding once. "She got pretty far up the ranks, too. Made it all the way to Frontier Agent."

Ace glanced down at the shore, where Vivi was busily preparing her pony-sized duck for its sprint across the desert. Her candy-blue ponytail, gleaming in the sunlight, rippled across her slender back as she fidgeted with the duck's water supply. This delicate-looking girl had taken quite a risk for her country's sake.

"Then, if the agents aren't the problem…" Ace prompted.

"It's their boss," Zoro said in a low voice. "Sir Crocodile."

"Oh! _That_ Crocodile?!" Ace said, surprised. "So that's what Luffy meant about punching a crocodile. That's why he's been in Alabasta all this time; he's been running some sort of operation through Baroque Works."

"Right," Zoro said with a brusque nod. "That's what she's been working hard to uncover. That princess is pitting herself against Sir goddamn Crocodile."

Ace gaped down at Vivi again. The duck was sprinting away and she called after it to conserve its water, like a chiding mother.

"One of the Seven Warlords," Ace murmured, crossing his forearms and leaning on the rail. That was the enemy this girl faced, no less than one of the most powerful pirates on the Grand Line, and one with the backing of the World Government at that. What massive reserve of strength did this girl possess?

* * *

It was a short journey up the coast to Erumalu. The _Going Merry_ dropped anchor along the rocky shore and the crew set about preparing for their journey. After their run-in with the dugongs, they were finally on their way. She glanced up at the sky and smiled. It was still early in the day; they had plenty of time to make some good progress before nightfall.

They crested a dune not too far from the shoreline and, right away, Erumalu came into view. Vivi stopped in her tracks, feeling the breath knocked from her chest. She'd heard that Erumalu had suffered greatly, but she never could've imagined…

Buildings, shattered and crumbling, had been swallowed up by sand. Where once there had been dense foliage, now only a few scattered and dried-out palm trees jutted up from the ground. And above all… there was not a single living soul to be seen. Silence had settled its heavy hand over this place.

"What's this?" Sanji asked as he and the rest of the group caught up to her.

"Is this Yuba?" Luffy asked, confused.

"No," Vivi murmured. "This is Erumalu. It used to be called the City of Green…"

"City of Green?" Luffy echoed. He sounded confused; she couldn't blame him. Of course it'd be difficult for an outsider to see this devastation and even begin to imagine what it had once been.

"The sight of this city explains everything," Vivi said heavily, turning to face her friends. "What Baroque Works has done to this country… what the people of Alabasta are suffering through…" The Straw Hats stared pensively back at her.

They made their way into the cracked remnants of the town, and the sense of dread hanging over Vivi grew thicker and more stifling with every footstep. Her hands twisted into fists at her sides, her shoulders tensing.

"Wow! There's nothing here!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Yes. It's a ghost town now, but it used to be a prosperous oasis, full of greenery!" Vivi explained.

"This place was?" Zoro muttered, further behind her in the group.

"The city was always able to manage, even with scarce rainfall, by saving every drop of rainwater that did come. But it's been three years since the last rain came. For three years, not one drop of rain has fallen anywhere in Alabasta," she said softly. Sanji and Chopper exclaimed in shock behind her. She couldn't blame them. That kind of drought was unimaginable for most countries. Even for Alabasta, it was unheard of.

As they moved further into the ruined city, she told them the entire story—the "King's Miracle", and the horrible lie that had been spun to shake the people's faith. Nami's knowledge of Dance Powder didn't come as much of a surprise to her; her newfound friend was incredibly smart. Vivi was quietly grateful to Nami for taking it upon herself to explain Dance Powder to the boys. Even as she'd relayed the story of Baroque Works' setup to them, she'd felt her simmering anger and sorrow rising to the surface. With Nami's calm, level voice in her ears, she took a moment to compose herself, to put the pieces firmly back in place. She couldn't afford to let her emotions run away with her, not even for a moment—not when so much was at stake.

But when they found the skeleton, lying beneath its tattered cloak in the burning sand, that resolve became so much more difficult. She sank to her knees. Her hands dropped, fingertips brushing gently, numbly, over the cracked skull.

"What did my father… what did the citizens of this country ever do?" she whispered. Her voice shook, in spite of all of her will. "These people have worked so hard just to live, just to get by as natives of a desert land, forced to fight against nature to survive." She clutched the skull with both hands, hunching over it, her entire body trembling. "Yet he's… he's destroying their lives! What gives him the right to do that?!"

She knew what that man did, beating up low-level pirates who came to Alabasta's shores to plunder. She thought of the townspeople, cheering their praise and calling desperately out to him, so eager to be saved.

"And all this time, as one of the Seven Warlords, he's pretending to be the people's hero!" she hissed through her teeth. "No one realizes how deeply he's deceived them!" She brought her hands to her face, pressing her palms against forehead. "I… I can't let him get away with this!"

She lifted her head at the sound of a furious yell and an echoing rumble; the remnants of a tower crumbled to the ground, just as she realized that Luffy, Sanji, and Usopp were missing from the group.

"Jeez, you're all such kids," Zoro grumbled as the three of them marched back.

Ace walked up to Vivi all of a sudden and crouched on the sand next to the skeleton. She stared at him, puzzled. Cupping his hands, he started scooping sand away till he'd dug a large, shallow hole—and then he looked up at her with a gentle smile.

She understood, then, and knelt down beside him. Together, they carefully lifted the desiccated bones into the hole, settling each one into place so they wouldn't be damaged any further. Once it was done, Ace covered the bones with the folded-up remains of the cloak and piled a mound of sand over it. He stuck a twig from a tree atop it—the only grave marker available. Then he stood and held a hand out to her. She took it, too weary to feel any embarrassment at the contact. He easily pulled her to her feet, keeping his hand on her wrist a moment longer as she swayed unsteadily. But she regained her composure quickly and nodded her thank to him. He nodded back, wordless but understanding.

"Vivi! Let's get moving," Luffy said grimly, fist clenched and adjusting his shoulder. "I'm itching to do this now!" He started walking along with some of the others.

"Let's go to Yuba," Vivi agreed. Her voice was steady once more, her resolve doubled.

"That's where the rebels are, right?" Zoro asked.

"Yes, I'm going to persuade their leader to put an end to this senseless rebellion," she declared.

"Persuade?" Zoro echoed, eyebrows quirking skeptically.

"I know I can do it. All of Alabasta's misfortunes are Crocodile's doing. If I can tell their leader the truth, I can convince him to stop this pointless shedding of blood!"

"Got it." Without another word, Zoro turned to follow Luffy. Vivi paused, taking one last look at the stick that marked the skeleton's resting place. Then she, too, looked away from the remains of Erumalu and turned instead towards the vastness of the desert.

* * *

The hours went by quickly, if not quietly. If nothing else, the sound of Luffy's miserable groans and wails were enough to keep things noisy.

It was inevitable that the crew's normal bickering and jibing would be at an all-time high here. The relentless heat of the open desert was enough to make anyone cranky. What was really odd, though, were the scowls coming from Ace. Up till then, he'd been generally cheerful and easygoing. He'd certainly had his moments of solemnity, but these deep frowns were something new.

Was the sun getting to him, too? That seemed unlikely to Vivi; he was fire, as he'd said to Smoker. Surely heat didn't bother him? Or perhaps he was unhappy with the way the crew scuffled with and chided Luffy. After a fight broke out over a water barrel, she saw him scowling again. Whatever the cause, it was concerning. Was he starting to regret coming with them? She certainly hoped not.

When they settled down for the night, things got even stranger. While she and the crew all gathered beside Sanji's cooking fire, Ace kept his distance. While the rest of them huddled together for warmth against the cold desert night, he stayed apart.

Once the usual madness of the crew had settled down somewhat, as tiredness overcame them all, Vivi stood up from her spot next to Nami and looked over at Ace again. He sat against his tent, one leg pulled in and the other outstretched, the wide brim of his hat hiding his face. Mustering her nerve and hoping she wasn't being too presumptuous, she walked over to him.

* * *

Ace heard the approaching footsteps on the sand and guessed who it must be. Sure enough, he was right.

"This must be a big surprise for you," Vivi said tentatively. He glanced up, a bit puzzled. He wasn't sure what he'd expected her to say—an invitation to come and sit closer to the group, perhaps—but that hadn't really been it.

"I mean, Luffy-san," she explained. "I was really surprised at first, too. Maybe it's that he's not very captain-like, or that he doesn't get the usual kind of respect that most pirate crews give their captains…"

He smiled a bit as she spoke. Ah, so that was it, then. She thought he was worried in some way about his little brother.

"A little drink of water sparked that big fight this afternoon. But… you know…" She looked back at the group. "The longer I've been with them, the more I've begun to understand."

He smiled up at her. "That's how Luffy's always done things," he commented. Vivi looked down at him, clearly surprised by his reaction. He had to admit, the look of puzzlement on her face was endearing. Ace went on, explaining, "Luffy hasn't changed one bit since he was a kid. Despite how weird he is, people always gather around him. It's like he has some kind of mysterious charm to him."

Vivi's small laugh sounded relieved. "Oh, so you already knew," she said.

"Well, he and I do go way back," Ace reminded her, grinning as he glanced at the cluster of sleeping pirates by the fire. He looked up at her again, and added, "But, thanks, I appreciate it anyway."

"Eh?" She tilted her head, making that terribly cute expression again.

"You were worried that I had some concerns, right?" he asked.

"Yes," she admitted. "But it looks like I didn't have to worry, after all." He chuckled under his breath, looking down at the fire once more. He heard her laugh softly as well. "W-well, um, we'll need to wake up early tomorrow, so… I'm going to sleep."

"That's a good idea, I'll do the same," he agreed. "Good night, Princess Vivi."

"Good night, Ace-san," she said quietly, her light footfalls making little noise as she turned to leave. He smiled to himself and pushed his hat back, turning his eyes up towards the stars for a moment. Quite a remarkable girl, indeed. Her country was lucky to have her.

* * *

A couple of hours after saying goodnight to the crew, Vivi sat atop a sand dune close to the little campsite that her friends had set up. She had stayed in her tent for a while, but no matter what position she'd squirmed into, she couldn't seem to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. She'd given up and now here she was, staring out over the dark desert. She drew her knees up to her chest, hands clasped in front of her shins, and rested her head. Her chin pressed into the soft fabric of her traveling robe.

The reports she'd heard about the Rebel Army whirled around in her head. They were based in Yuba, she'd been told, and their leader was a young man named Kohza. Some rumors said he had a scar by his left eye; but of course, rumors were rumors and they had plenty of different forms. Some said he had scars all over his face. Some said he was an older man. Some even said the real leader was none other than Sir Crocodile himself, the "People's Hero". She clenched her robe in her fists so hard that she could feel her fingernails digging into her shins even through the cloth.

Pushing aside the sudden surge of fury, she focused instead on the most credible rumors. She tried to tell herself that it could be a different Kohza. It wasn't as if he was the only one in the entire country with that name. It didn't have to be her Leader, the same boy she'd grown up with… but it was. It had to be him. Even back then, years ago, he'd already been so angry, with such a strong sense of justice. Who else could it be?

The thought sent a stab through her heart. Kohza's face, the face of the boy he'd once been, stuck in her mind. He wouldn't be that same boy now, of course. What did he look like now? What did his voice sound like? Would she even recognize him when she saw him? Back then, it would have never occurred to her that anything would ever keep them apart for this long. She certainly couldn't have imagined a nightmare like this one. More than anything, she prayed they would both survive this, so that perhaps they could be friends again…

So many lives depended on her to stop this rebellion before it clashed with the Royal Army—not just the lives of the country's citizens, but now the life of her dearest and oldest friend, as well. The lives of the rebels, and the lives of the royal soldiers… She squeezed her eyes shut so hard that it almost hurt, shivering in the cold night air.

She jumped, gasping, as the soft weight of a robe settled around her shoulders all of a sudden. Glancing down, she immediately recognized the midnight blue fabric, and the orange flame pattern on the sleeves that now draped against her sides. Right away she felt her face flush and her heart jumped. She didn't lift her eyes, keeping them on the ground in front of her.

"Oh, sorry for startling you," Ace said sheepishly from behind her. "I should've asked first—you looked cold, though."

"A-ah, no, it's fine," she assured him, then hastily added, "Thank you."

"Is it all right if I sit here?" he asked, boots crunching faintly on the sand as he appeared in her peripheral vision on her right.

"Sit here? Um, sure, of course," she said, still focused on the sand at her feet. He sank down next to her, legs crossed and leaning back on his hands.

"Kind of cold to be sitting out here at a late hour like this," he remarked. She knew, of course, that the cold didn't bother him one bit. "You had trouble sleeping, huh?"

"I guess it's pretty obvious," she agreed, smiling weakly—but still unable to actually turn her head and look at him. It was much safer to look at the sand. "Um, you couldn't sleep, either?"

"No. I've got some things on my mind, as well." His tone sounded heavy for a moment.

"Ah… that man, Blackbeard?" she ventured.

"Hm." He didn't seem inclined to discuss it further. "What you told us in Erumalu… that was quite a shock to hear," he added solemnly. She hesitated, uneasy to know that her secrets were exposed… but by this point, she supposed there wasn't much good in holding back anymore. After Erumalu, the secrets were all out anyway.

Ace sighed. "Crocodile, huh… I never guessed he was the one behind Baroque Works. I was telling that swordsman earlier, it doesn't make any sense to me. It's strange enough for a pirate to sell himself to the World Government like the Seven Warlords do, but trying to take over a kingdom? Could there be more to it?"

"Yes, I'm sure there is," Vivi agreed, fists clenching again. She lifted her head and stared ahead into the nighttime. "I don't know what his true goal is… to be entirely honest, I'm not sure that I even care."

"Hm?" He sounded somewhat confused. She could feel him looking at her.

"If I defeat him and I never find out what his reasons were, I won't lose sleep over it," she said harshly. "All that matters to me is stopping him before this lie of his starts taking lives."

Ace was silent for a moment, and then he said, "Zoro told me you were in Baroque Works for two years."

"That's right," she whispered grimly. From the corner of her eye, she saw him sit upright, bracing his hands on his knees.

"If it's all right for me to ask," he said quietly, "How old were you when this started?"

"I had just turned fourteen," she murmured, squeezing her eyes shut. Ace sat wordlessly again for a minute.

"That's incredible," he said suddenly.

"Eh?" Vivi jerked her head up in surprise, finally looking up at him.

"Not many people could've done that," he insisted. "Crocodile's a ruthless man. He's not someone that most people would willingly defy."

"I never suspected him, either," Vivi said bitterly, looking down at her fists again. "I had no idea he would be the one behind this."

"And now you know and you're still going after him," Ace stated simply. "Do you realize how many people would be cowering in a dark corner of the farthest island they could find by now? And you're not. You're fighting back." She glanced up again and their eyes locked. He regarded her sincerely, his dark eyes studying her. That intensity of focus made her heart sputter. Then he smiled and stood up, stretching his arms.

"Well, I think I'll try sleeping now," he said. "You should, too. Good night, Princess Vivi." He started to turn around, and then paused and chuckled. "I think I already said that once tonight."

"Mmhm, I think so too," she agreed, remembering their conversation by the fire. "In that case, I'll say 'Good night, Ace-san' again, also." He laughed and turned back towards the camp, half-sliding and half-running down the sand dune. She watched him go, and didn't realize till he was already back at the camp that she still had his robe on.

When she went back to her tent, not long after that, she paused before Ace's tent, figuring she'd quietly sneak it back in. Gingerly pulling back the tent flap, she saw Ace sprawled on the floor, arms and legs every which way, mouth open and face smooshed against the ground. She put a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh and silently set the folded-up robe by his feet.

* * *

She was in a fairly good mood when she stepped out of her tent that morning—or at least, she was until the words "desert shrimp" reached her ears in the familiarly loud voice of a certain captain. Her head snapped up and she saw Luffy crouched nearby, with Chopper and Usopp hovering over him with avid interest.

"Ah, so that's a shrimp?" Chopper asked excitedly. Vivi squinted and sure enough, the insect dangling from Luffy's fingers was…

"Luffy-san, stop!" Vivi exclaimed, horrified. "Toss that away, don't touch it!"

Luffy scowled at her. "No! That'd be wasteful!" he protested stubbornly.

"That's a scorpion! They're poisonous. If it stings you, you'll die!" she shouted urgently. Chopper yelped in terror, reeling backwards and away from Luffy.

Luffy's lower lip jutted out, pouting with full force. "Aww, so I can't eat it? Man, how boring," he grumbled. He frowned at the scorpion and held it out to Usopp. "Here, you can have it."

"O-oi, don't give that to me!" Usopp hollered, recoiling dramatically. Luffy tossed it over his shoulder, thoroughly disinterested with it now. Vivi heaved a sigh of relief as the scorpion scuttled away. She held nothing but affection and respect for the strange pirate captain who'd taken the burden of her struggle onto his own thin shoulders… but sometimes she wondered how he'd managed to make it this far on the Grand Line!

"I'm sorry, I should've mentioned it sooner," she said fretfully.

"That's for sure!" Usopp exclaimed, sounding nearly frantic. She really had meant to explain the dangers of the desert to them sooner, but her mind had just been so scattered ever since they'd left Nanohana.

Within moments, something else she should've mentioned sooner made itself known. Chopper was the first to sense it coming, and as soon as she felt the hot, dry winds picking up, she knew what it was, too. A heavy feeling of dread welled up in the pit of her stomach. No one else was worried yet—and Ace seemed almost entertained by the change in the weather—but they would be soon.

"Everyone! Hide behind the rocks, take cover! A sandstorm is coming!" she yelled frantically. It took some doing to corral Luffy, but they were all finally hidden just as the whirling storm hit them.

Vivi clung desperately to the rocks in front of her, fingers scraping painfully on the rough stone. She faintly heard the sounds of wood snapping and canvas tearing as their tents gave way, but soon enough she couldn't hear anything at all over the whirlwind. The sandstorm raged around them, winds whipping at their faces and clothes. Sand stung her face and hands and she pressed her head downward till her nose pressed against the rocks.

She wasn't sure when she'd passed out, but the next thing she was aware of was the sunlight beating down on her back through her cloak, and hot sand against her cheeks. Even though her consciousness was drifting back to her, she couldn't seem to move just yet. As if from a distance, she heard the muffled sound of hurried footsteps on sand. A shadow fell over her, bringing some relief from the light searing through her eyelids, and she felt the touch of a slightly callused hand against her cheek. Another hand shook her shoulder gently.

Finally feeling awake again, she lifted her head and opened her eyes. She'd expected it to be Sanji, having found a chance to exercise his particular brand of chivalry. Instead, it was dark, serious eyes and a freckled face that she saw.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Ace asked, frowning.

"Mmhm, thank you," she said, wishing she didn't sound quite so damn breathless. He smiled and stood up, pulling her to her feet for the second time in as many days. And perhaps she was imagining it, but she could have sworn that his hand lingered on her forearm for a moment longer than it needed to.

The next few hours were no less chaotic. Between the bandit birds snatching all of their supplies, Luffy's abrupt dash into the desert and the brief but worrisome time spent awaiting his return, and the arrival of no less than two Sandora Dragons… well, they certainly had a lot to keep their minds off of the heat. Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro had easily dispatched the first Sandora Dragon, and Ace took the second one down with his typical calmness and an impressive blast of fire from within the beast itself.

Vivi stared at the giant reptiles strewn before her. Most travelers who encountered a Sandora Dragon were dead before they'd even had time to realize it. To see two of them slain with such little effort! It wasn't something she was likely to see again anytime soon—unless more of the monsters attacked them, of course. Just like Nami said, she almost felt bad for the beasts.

They got moving again after feasting on meat from the Sandora Dragons. As she chewed a skewer of meat, savoring the simple but flavorful taste, she marveled once again at her companions. Problems had a peculiar way of resolving themselves for this bunch. Less than half an hour after the bandit birds had stolen their supplies, here they were stuffing their faces with freshly roasted meat. There was more food here than they could possibly carry. They'd barely even had time to consider starvation as a real concern before their food worries had been solved.

It had been the same back in Nanohana's harbor. If Ace hadn't come aboard the Going Merry with them, those five Billions' ships would have posed quite a problem. And when the Marines had chased them, Ace had caught up with them just in time to protect them from Smoker's attack. On Drum Island, on Little Garden… everywhere they went, situations that had seemed dire to her had been of little consequence to her friends.

To be sure, all of them were immensely strong and incredibly resilient, but was that it? There were plenty of strong, resilient pirates on the Grand Line. What was it about this crew that made them so special?

She had plenty of time to wonder about it as she and Nami rode ahead on their newly-acquired camel. The boys quickly fell behind, and she couldn't help but worry about them, despite Nami's assurances that they'd be fine. After a while, she glanced back over her shoulder again and noticed that the rest of the crew had vanished entirely. Worry stabbed at the pit of her stomach but she did her best to ignore it. For now, she'd have to trust in their near-miraculous ability to survive.

* * *

Ace trudged across the scalding hot sand, scowling. How the hell had he managed to lose track of his brother like this? Ah, yes—he'd been distracted. His thoughts had been elsewhere and the group of younger boys had wandered out of sight. He heaved a sigh and tugged his backpack higher onto his shoulder.

Well, it wasn't like he had to worry about himself. He'd be fine out here. And he knew Luffy would be fine too, since he had his crew to look after him. Ace couldn't help smiling a little as he pictured the crew's faces in his mind. Yes, his hopeless little brother was well taken care of in their hands.

Memories of his own nakama sprang to his mind, bringing a wistful tightness to his chest. His beloved captain, the men on his crew, his fellow commanders—Marco, Izo, Jozu, Haruta, and all the rest… and Thatch, of course. His face hardened at the thought of the man who'd forced him to leave his nakama: that damned Blackbeard.

He wondered how likely it was that the traitor had ever actually been in Yuba. It was a slim possibility, but any lead was worth checking out. Blackbeard had been a man under Ace's command; he was the only one responsible for taking him down.

For now, he pushed the matter to the back of his mind. There was nothing to be done about it till he reached Yuba and got the truth of the matter. He had to focus on finding Luffy again.

He glanced around as he walked, pushing his hat back to take a look at the towering sand dunes as he passed them by. He'd never been to Alabasta before this; it seemed like a nice place, he hoped he'd be able to come back someday. He couldn't really enjoy it like this, with so much on his mind.

Then again, hopefully the country would still be there for him to visit next time. He couldn't for the life of him imagine what Crocodile wanted with this place. It made no sense to him that such a major-league pirate would want to settle down on a throne and stay there. That Princess Vivi had quite a challenge on her hands, for sure.

He thought back to that first night in the desert, when he'd talked with her on that sand dune. The fire in her voice was unmistakable. He hoped for her sake that this plan of hers would work. A brave, sweet girl like that didn't deserve the heartbreak that would come if Crocodile got his way. He couldn't help but picture her wide, determined eyes and the way her delicate jaw set fiercely, and the way her bright blue hair caught the sunlight—but he stopped himself before those thoughts could go any further. Someone with devil's blood like him didn't even have the right to stand next to someone like her, really.

Luckily, a giant scorpion rose up out of the sand just then to distract him, blocking his path entirely.

"I wouldn't if I were you," he told it grimly. It didn't budge, so he slung his backpack down and cracked his knuckles, igniting them. "All right, then," he said with a grin.

* * *

The captain of the Sand Pirates invited them to spend the night on the ship. As the crew settled in for the night on the main deck, Vivi stood by the railing, looking out over the dunes as they rolled past. The rumble of the ship's hull gliding over the sand provided an odd background to her unsettled thoughts.

Rasa's words echoed heavily in her ears. _I waited all alone in the middle of this vast desert,_ she'd said. _I don't want to hear your excuses!_ That little girl had waited alone in the ruined oasis for Vivi's father to come back—to keep his promise to come and help if any misfortune ever befell the oasis. And of course, by that time, towns all over the kingdom were in dire trouble and the king had his hands full trying to help them all. Rasa's town had fallen through the cracks. Vivi and her father had failed to protect its citizens.

_In my head, the King's words continued to ring. Even now, I don't understand it… Things were so difficult, so what was I waiting for? Just what kept me going? Hate? Anger? Or inexistent hope? _The sound of Rasa's tearful words stuck with her. She fidgeted, frowning up at the darkening sky.

"Vivi?" Nami's concerned voice cut through her thoughts. She looked over at her friend, who came over to stand next to her. "We're all getting ready to go to sleep. Why're you over here? You okay?"

"It's…. it's just a conversation I had. With one of the Sand Pirates," Vivi whispered.

"One of them?" Nami's brow furrowed. "What happened?"

"That girl, Rasa… I met her once when I was a child. My father made a promise to the people of that town, and he—in the end, he couldn't keep it," Vivi murmured, staring out at the desert again.

"Vivi…" She turned her head to look at Nami again, who smiled faintly and reached over to flick Vivi's forehead. She jerked her head back with a startled squeak, rubbing the spot. Nami put her fists on her hips and said, "You're not gonna be able to help anyone at all if you worry yourself sick, right?"

"Um—right," Vivi agreed slowly.

"So stop fretting over things that happened in the past. You can't change any of that. You need to save your energy for stopping this civil war, not for driving yourself crazy over things that already happened. Let go of it," Nami told her. Her tone was firm but her smile was encouraging. Vivi mustered a smile in return and nodded.

* * *

The next morning, they said their farewells to the Sand Pirates and set off to their next destination, a small town called Ido. While the captain and Luffy exchanged a few final words, Vivi found her eyes drawn upwards to the rigging. Rasa perched up there amidst the ropes. Even from that distance, Vivi could make out the scowl etched on her face. It stabbed at her heart, but she tried to remind herself of Nami's words last night.

But as they departed and she rode away with Nami on the camel's saddle, she turned back to look at the ship again. Rasa was still there, up in the crow's nest… and she was waving. Vivi felt her spirits lift, tears filling her eyes. She beamed and waved back. Yes, there was hope now. She couldn't do anything to fix the pain Rasa had suffered as a child, but she could keep other little girls like her from ever having to endure the same pain. She could honor the spirit of her father's promise by stopping Crocodile from inflicting any more misery on this country.

She faced forward in the saddle as the pirate ship sailed off and vanished behind the dunes. Her heart felt lighter, but as she looked around at her group, she remembered that one person was still missing. Where on earth had Ace disappeared to?

* * *

Meanwhile, out in the desert, a lone figure approached Ido, sitting astride the back of a huge lizard. The man pushed the brim of his hat up and scowled.

"Still no sign of him. What a troublesome little brother," he muttered to himself.

* * *

**Wow... this chapter was a lot more angsty and a lot less fluffy than I planned. Vivi's very strong-willed, I guess! XD Chapter two will be here soon.**


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